the frozen deep-第5章

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〃I　can't　rest。　I　have　not　slept　all　night。　Have　you　been　out
yet？〃

〃No。〃

〃Have　you　seen　or　heard　anything　of　Richard　Wardour？〃

〃What　an　extraordinary　question！〃

〃Answer　my　question！　Don't　trifle　with　me！〃

〃Compose　yourself；　Clara。　I　have　neither　seen　nor　heard　anything
of　Richard　Wardour。　Take　my　word　for　it；　he　is　far　enough　away　by
this　time。〃

〃No！　He　is　here！　He　is　near　us！　All　night　long　the　presentiment
has　pursued　meFrank　and　Richard　Wardour　will　meet。〃

〃My　dear　child！　what　are　you　thinking　of？　T　hey　are　total
strangers　to　each　other。〃

〃Something　will　happen　to　bring　them　together。　I　feel　it！　I　know
it！　They　will　meetthere　will　be　a　mortal　quarrel　between
themand　I　shall　be　to　blame。　Oh；　Lucy！　why　didn't　I　take　your
advice？　Why　was　I　mad　enough　to　let　Frank　know　that　I　loved　him？
Are　you　going　to　the　landing…stage？　I　am　all　readyI　must　go
with　you。〃

〃You　must　not　think　of　it；　Clara。　There　will　be　crowding　and
confusion　at　the　water…side。　You　are　not　strong　enough　to　bear
it。　WaitI　won't　be　long　awaywait　till　I　come　back。〃

〃I　must　and　will　go　with　you！　Crowd？　_He_　will　be　among　the
crowd！　Confusion？　In　that　confusion　_he_　will　find　his　way　to
Frank！　Don't　ask　me　to　wait。　I　shall　go　mad　if　I　wait。　I　shall
not　know　a　moment's　ease　until　I　have　seen　Frank；　with　my　own
eyes；　safe　in　the　boat　which　takes　him　to　his　ship！　You　have　got
your　bonnet　on；　what　are　we　stopping　here　for？　Come！　or　I　shall
go　without　you。　Look　at　the　clock；　we　have　not　a　moment　to　lose！〃

It　was　useless　to　contend　with　her。　Mrs。　Crayford　yielded。　The
two　women　left　the　house　together。

The　landing…stage；　as　Mrs。　Crayford　had　predicted；　was　thronged
with　spectators。　Not　only　the　relatives　and　friends　of　the　Arctic
voyagers；　but　strangers　as　well；　had　assembled　in　large　numbers
to　see　the　ships　sail。　Clara's　eyes　wandered　affrightedly　hither
and　thither　among　the　strange　faces　in　the　crowd；　searching　for
the　one　face　that　she　dreaded　to　see；　and　not　finding　it。　So
completely　were　her　nerves　unstrung；　that　she　started　with　a　cry
of　alarm　on　suddenly　hearing　Frank's　voice　behind　her。

〃The　_Sea…mew_'s　boats　are　waiting；〃　he　said。　〃I　must　go；
darling。　How　pale　you　are　looking；　Clara！　Are　you　ill？〃

She　never　answered。　She　questioned　him　with　wild　eyes　and
trembling　lips。

〃Has　anything　happened　to　you；　Frank？　anything　out　of　the
common？〃

Frank　laughed　at　the　strange　question。

〃Anything　out　of　the　common？〃　he　repeated。　〃Nothing　that　I　know
of；　except　sailing　for　the　Arctic　seas。　That's　out　of　the　common；
I　supposeisn't　it？〃

〃Has　anybody　spoken　to　you　since　last　night？　Has　any　stranger
followed　you　in　the　street？〃

Frank　turned　in　blank　amazement　to　Mrs。　Crayford。

〃What　on　earth　does　she　mean？〃

Mrs。　Crayford's　lively　invention　supplied　her　with　an　answer　on
the　spur　of　the　moment。

〃Do　you　believe　in　dreams；　Frank？　Of　course　you　don't！　Clara　has
been　dreaming　about　you；　and　Clara　is　foolish　enough　to　believe
in　dreams。　That's　allit's　not　worth　talking　about。　Hark！　they
are　calling　you。　Say　good…by；　or　you　will　be　too　late　for　the
boat。〃

Frank　took　Clara's　hand。　Long　afterwardin　the　dark　Arctic　days；
in　the　dreary　Arctic　nightshe　remembered　how　coldly　and　how
passively　that　hand　lay　in　his。

〃Courage；　Clara！〃　he　said；　gayly。　〃A　sailor's　sweetheart　must
accustom　herself　to　partings。　The　time　will　soon　pass。　Good…by；
my　darling！　Good…by；　my　wife！〃

He　kissed　the　cold　hand；　he　looked　his　lastfor　many　a　long
year；　perhaps！at　the　pale　and　beautiful　face。　〃How　she　loves
me！〃　he　thought。　〃How　the　parting　distresses　her！〃　He　still　held
her　hand；　he　would　have　lingered　longer；　if　Mrs。　Crayford　had　not
wisely　waived　all　ceremony　and　pushed　him　away。

The　two　ladies　followed　him　at　a　safe　distance　through　the　crowd；
and　saw　him　step　into　the　boat。　The　oars　struck　the　water；　Frank
waved　his　cap　to　Clara。　In　a　moment　more　a　vessel　at　anchor　hid
the　boat　from　view。　They　had　seen　the　last　of　him　on　his　way　to
the　Frozen　Deep！

〃No　Richard　Wardour　in　the　boat；〃　said　Mrs。　Crayford。　〃No　Richard
Wardour　on　the　shore。　Let　this　be　a　lesson　to　you；　my　dear。　Never
be　foolish　enough　to　believe　in　presentiments　again。〃

Clara's　eyes　still　wandered　suspiciously　to　and　fro　among　the
crowd。

〃Are　you　not　satisfied　yet？〃　asked　Mrs。　Crayford。

〃No；〃　Clara　answered；　〃I　am　not　satisfied　yet。〃

〃What！　still　looking　for　him？　This　is　really　too　absurd。　Here　is
my　husband　coming。　I　shall　tell　him　to　call　a　cab；　and　send　you
home。〃

Clara　drew　back　a　few　steps。

〃I　won't　be　in　the　way；　Lucy；　while　you　are　taking　leave　of　your
good　husband；〃　she　said。　〃I　will　wait　here。〃

〃Wait　here！　What　for？〃

〃For　something　which　I　may　yet　see；　or　for　something　which　I　may
still　hear。〃

〃Richard　Wardour？〃

〃Richard　Wardour。〃

Mrs。　Crayford　turned　to　her　husband　without　another　word。　Clara's
infatuation　was　beyond　the　reach　of　remonstrance。

The　boats　of　the　_Wanderer_　took　the　place　at　the　landing…stage
vacated　by　the　boats　of　the　_Sea…mew_。　A　burst　of　cheering　among
the　outer　ranks　of　the　crowd　announced　the　arrival　of　the
commander　of　the　expedition　on　the　scene。　Captain　Helding
appeared；　looking　right　and　left　for　his　first　lieutenant。
Finding　Crayford　with　his　wife；　the　captain　made　his　apologies
for　interfering；　with　his　best　grace。

〃Give　him　up　to　his　professional　duties　for　one　minute；　Mrs。
Crayford；　and　you　shall　have　him　back　again　for　half　an　hour。　The
Arctic　expedition　is　to　blame；　my　dear　ladynot　the　captainfor
parting　man　and　wife。　In　Crayford's　place；　I　should　have　left　it
to　the　bachelors　to　find　the　Northwest　Passage；　and　have　stopped
at　home　with　you！〃

Excusing　himself　in　those　bluntly　complimentary　terms；　Captain
Helding　drew　the　lieutenant　aside　a　few　steps；　accidentally
taking　a　direction　that　led　the　two　officers　close　to　the　place
at　which　Clara　was　standing。　Both　the　captain　and　the　lieutenant
were　too　completely　absorbed　in　their　professional　business　to
notice　her。　Neither　the　one　nor　the　other　had　the　faintest
suspicion　that　she　could　and　did　hear　every　word　of　the　talk　that
passed　between　them。

〃You　received　my　note　this　morning？〃　the　captain　began。

〃Certainly；　Captain　Helding；　or　I　should　have　been　on　board　the
ship　before　this。〃

〃I　am　going　on　board　myself　at　once；〃　the　captain　proceeded；　〃but
I　must　ask　you　to　keep　your　boat　waiting　for　half　an　hour　more。
You　will　be　all　the　longer　with　your　wife；　you　know。　I　thought　of
that；　Crayford。〃

〃I　am　much　obliged　to　you；　Captain　Helding。　I　suppose　there　is
some　other　reason　for　inverting　the　customary　order　of　things；
and　keeping　the　lieutenant　on　shore　after　the　captain　is　on
board？〃

〃Quite　true！　there　_is_　another　reason。　I　want　you　to　wait　for　a
volunteer　who　has　just　joined　us。〃

〃A　volunteer！〃

〃Yes。　He　has　his　outfit　to　get　in　a　hurry；　and　he　may　be　half　an
hour　late。〃

〃It's　rather　a　sudden　appointment；　isn't　it？〃

〃No　doubt。　Very　sudden。〃

〃Andpardon　meit's　rather　a　long　time　（as　we　are　situated）　to
keep　the　ships　waiting　for　one　man？〃

〃Quite　true；　again。　But　a　man　who　is　worth　having　is　worth
waiting　for。　This　man　is　worth　having；　this　man　is　worth　his
weight　in　gold　to　such　an　expedition　as　ours。　Seasoned　to　all
climates　and　all　fatiguesa　strong　fellow；　a　brave　fellow；　a
clever　fellowin　short；　an　excellent　officer。　I　know　him　well；
or　I　should　never　have　taken　him。　The　country　gets　plenty　of　work
out　of　my　new　volunteer；　Crayford。　He　only　returned　yesterday
from　foreign　service。〃

〃He　only　returned　yesterday　from　foreign　service！　And　he
volunteers　this　morning　to　join　the　Arctic　expedition？　You
astonish　me。〃

〃I　dare　say　I　do！　You　can't　be　more　astonished　than　I　was；　when
he　presented　himself　at　my　hotel　and　told　me　what　he　wanted。
'Why；　my　good　fellow；　you　have　just　got　home；'　I　said。　'Are　you
weary　of　your　freedom；　after　only　a　few　hours'　experience　of　it？'
His　answer　rather　startled　me。　He　said；　'I　am　weary　of　my　life；
sir。　I　have　come　home　and　found　a　trouble　to　welcome　me；　which
goes　near　to　break　my　heart。　If　I　don't　take　refuge　in　absence
and　hard　work；　I　am　a　lost　man。　Will　you　give　me　a　refuge？'
Th